Saudi Food and Drug Authority Winner of the 2021 Task Force Awards

This year 19 organizations received UN Inter-Agency Task Force on the Prevention and Control of NCDs awards. Winners were announced by the WHO Deputy Director-General on 22 September 2021 during the annual Friends of the Task Force meeting during the UN General Assembly.

In presenting the awards, the WHO Deputy Director-General said, ‘We congratulate all those awarded today. We look forward to hearing progress on their work in the months ahead. We hope that these awards encourage even greater action both by those awarded and everyone else in responding the challenge of the NCD-related SDGs’

Awards were made in three categories: (i) ministries of health (or government agency under a ministry of health); (ii) ministries (or government agencies) beyond health; and (iii) non-state actors (non-governmental organization, academic institutions and philanthropy).

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, represented by the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA), was among the winners of the 2021 UNIATF awards on the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases (NCDs), for its role and efforts in preventing and  promoting public health by improving the nutritional value of food including through the Multi-sectoral healthy food strategy.





The awards aim at enhancing cooperation between various UN agencies and ministries and public organizations in the world to support government efforts on non-communicable diseases related to the Sustainable Development Goals.



SFDA’s Healthy Food Strategy started in 2018 with the aim of improving the value of food products, reducing the rate of being infected with chronic diseases in Saudi Arabia through reducing the amounts of sugar, salt and fat in food products, and enabling consumers to find healthier food options.

Notes

Winners are selected on the basis of demonstrative commitment to multisectoral action in preventing and controlling the NCD-related SDGs (at local, national, regional or international level) with particular weight given to nominations that demonstrated evidence of one or more of the following: (i) new and innovative activities; (ii) acting as an exemplar for others; (iii) overcoming significant obstacles; (iv) demonstrating outstanding leadership; and (v) mobilizing resources, knowledge or expertise.

This year, nominations were specifically encouraged for organizations working with children and youth groups as well as those working with minority communities. Nominations were also encouraged that highlighted action maintaining focus on the NCD-related SDGs as part of COVID-19 responses.

2021 is the 4th year that the Task Force awards have been run. Self-nominations are not allowed.